One of the biggest challenges that face young children is learning how to eat with utensils such as forks and spoons. For the average child, at least in the United States, this learning process begins between one and two years of age when parents begin placing utensils before the child during meals. By watching and receiving direction from the parents, the child begins to use the utensils. With experience, children eventually become proficient at eating with utensils. Prior to reaching this point, however, using the utensils proves very challenging.
When beginning to use a utensil, such as a spoon or fork, most children grip the handle with a fist or fist-like grip, with the pinkie facing one end of the handle and the thumb facing the spoon or forked end. After scooping up food, the child then attempts to bring the spoon or forked end to her mouth. Because of the conventional structure of the utensil and this fist or fist-like grip, most children twist the utensil just before it reaches the mouth, which causes the food held by the spoon or forked end to fall away, leaving the little if any food on the utensil for the child to consume. To solve these and other problems, and to help children eat more efficiently when learning to use utensils, the need for certain new and useful improvements is evident.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a new and improved eating implement.
It is a purpose of the invention to provide a new and improved eating implement that is easy to use.
It is another purpose of the invention to provide a new and improved eating implement that is easy to construct.
It is still another purpose of the invention to provide a new and improved eating implement that is inexpensive.
It is a further provision of the invention to provide a new and improved eating implement that aids a child in eating efficiently when first learning how to eat with conventional utensils such as forks and spoons.